Emphasis Areas

When they apply to the program, students in the CSPP-LA Clinical PsyD program select
one of three emphasis areas: Clinical Health Psychology Emphasis (Health); Family/Child
and Couple Emphasis (FACE); or Multicultural Community-Clinical Psychology Emphasis
(MCCP). Students can also choose to opt-out of emphasis area specializations; these
students are Multi-Interest Option (MIO). All students receive a general education
in clinical psychology.

CLINICAL HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY EMPHASIS (HEALTH)

Clinical health psychology combines the fields of clinical psychology, behavioral
medicine, public health, social psychology, disease prevention and health promotion
into an applied discipline that investigates underlying mechanisms that connect the
mind and body and explain the dynamic interaction between our physical and mental
health. Clinical health psychologists integrate biomedical, psychological, social
and spiritual modalities to detect and treat psychological distress, foster behavior
change, increase adjustment to acute and chronic illnesses, reduce health and health
care disparities, and to promote psychological growth and wellness. Students in the
Clinical Health Psychology emphasis (Health) receive the same thorough preparation
for clinical and community practice as students in the other emphasis areas, while
in addition gaining a foundation of theoretical knowledge and skills necessary to
serve a number of professional roles across various community-based, medical and behavioral
health care settings.

In addition to developing the diagnostic, assessment and treatment skills required
of all clinical psychologists, Health students learn practical techniques in the areas
of cognitive-behavioral, existential, and community-based interventions. Faculty have
expertise in, enjoy teaching courses and mentoring students in areas such as neuropsychological
assessment and treatment of autism spectrum, attention deficit/hyperactivity, learning
and other neurodevelopmental disorders; child/pediatric psychology; LGBT health; body
image issues and disordered eating; women’s health; global health and racial disparities;
substance abuse treatment and addictions; adjustment to chronic illness such as HIV/AIDS,
cancer, cardiovascular disease; biofeedback; pain management; loss, grief and bereavement;
and resiliency, strength and wellness. Within and beyond these areas of focus, Health
students learn about the sociocultural, demographic, political, and economic forces
that underlie health and health-care disparities, and influence risk-taking and health-promoting
behaviors and practices within diverse and often underserved communities.

Training in the areas of behavioral medicine and health psychology prepare students
to explore a variety of opportunities in the rapidly evolving health care system.
Early career positions for Health graduates have ranged from entering post-doctoral
fellowships in various behavioral medicine settings to serving as members of interdisciplinary
teams of health care professionals to working in private practice and community mental
health settings using a biopsychosocial framework. Regardless of professional role,
graduates from our emphasis area remain dedicated to promoting the mind-body health
of children, adolescents, adults, families, and communities within a multicultural
and international context.

Our goal in the Family/child and Couple Emphasis (FACE) is to introduce graduate students
to the theory, research, and clinical practice of family and couple psychology. This
is accomplished through coursework in which students learn about families, couples,
adults, and children from diverse backgrounds. Students are taught to work with families,
couples, and individuals from a systemic perspective. Skills are developed in the
assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of relationship systems.

In the first two or three years of the FACE emphasis, students lean how to conceptualize,
assess, and interview families and couples FACE students take four family systems
courses. The family psychology course prepares students for an advanced FACE family
systems intervention course taken exclusively by FACE students. The Family/child and
Couple Emphasis is for students who are dedicated to learning family and couple psychology
intervention.

Students meet with their FACE academic advisor to determine which other advanced clinical
electives and seminars best fit into their plan of study so their career goals are
met. Creating a niche entails taking courses as well as networking in the community.
The FACE emphasis area assists students in developing their professional identity
through coursework, lectures, networking opportunities, and also offers a half time
internship working with families at the Ronald McDonald House.

The Multicultural Community-Clinical Psychology Emphasis (MCCP) reflects the state-of-the-art
in training philosophy, curriculum, and applied experiences relevant to training clinical
psychologists with special competence in multicultural and community psychology. The
mission of the training is to nurture the development of clinical psychologists who
will work to understand, prevent, and reduce psychological and community distress,
as well as enhance the psychological well-being of historically underserved, stigmatized,
and oppressed groups. In doing this, special attention is paid to the cultural and
sociopolitical context of the individuals, families, and communities we serve. Faculty
members in the emphasis area are committed to fostering a climate of inclusion, respect
for differences, and a sense of community both within and outside of CSPP. Ultimately,
faculty member strive to empower individuals and communities and to facilitate personal
and social healing.

Through coursework, field experiences and mentorship by our faculty, students learn
theory, research, and intervention strategies applicable to working with adults, adolescents,
children, families, groups, and communities. Students share the core curriculum in
clinical psychology with students from all emphasis areas. MCCP students intervention
with communities, institutional systems and specific multicultural groups. Faculty
focuses on training clinical psychologists who are critical thinkers about the etiology
of psychological distress and who can conceptualize the multiple pathways to healing
individuals, families, and communities.

MCCP students participate in professional field training experiences that emphasize
clinical services to multicultural and under-or inadequately-served populations. Settings
can range from hospitals and mental health clinics to community-based agencies or
university counselling centers. Students are encouraged to develop Doctoral Dissertations
that reflect an aspect of multicultural and/or community psychology.

Some students and faculty decide to participate in the Multi-Interest Option (MIO)
instead of selecting one of the three above-mentioned specific emphasis areas. the
MIO faculty includes practitioners and researchers who have multiple professional
interests and are involved in various aspects of clinical psychology. Instead of focusing
on a particular clinical emphasis or expertise, MIO provides a solid base in the field
of clinical psychology as well as flexibility for students who are interested in multiple
facets of the profession. From the diversity that it offers, MIO faculty members bring
to students a broad spectrum of what clinical psychology offers and the various professional
opportunities and potential career goals students can pursue as future psychologists.
MIO offers students flexibility in their choice of elective courses and topics for
their clinical dissertations and other scholarly and field training interests. The
faculty and students affiliated with MIO provide colloquia and social gatherings that,
like those sponsored by the emphasis areas, are open to all members of the Los Angeles
campus community. For example, MIO has sponsored presentations that promote awareness
of diverse roles in professional psychology by MIO faculty sharing their clinical
expertise (as lunch colloquia or formal workshop), enlisting alumni to discuss their
career trajectories, an introduction to grant writing and publications, and hosting
a panel discussion on professional consultation as a professional activity. The MIO
faculty seeks to encourage students' scholarly and professional growth in a wide range
of interest areas.